Joint seismic research activities have been carried out at the Belbaşı Seismic Research Station, an installation of the Turkish Armed Forces, with U.S. military authorities in the context of common defense efforts for several decades.

Mindful of the fact that the relevant Turkish institutions have attained a sufficient level of expertise through that joint work, negotiations for the transfer of the management responsibilities of the Belbaşı Facility to Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Boğaziçi University were held under the coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the contributions of the Turkish General Staff, Turkish Air Forces and the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute. Following the conclusion of the negotatiations, an agreement was initialed by H.E. Ambassador Marc Grossman, Assistant Secretary of State and H.E. Ambassador Tansu Okandan, Director-General for Bilateral Political Affairs during President Clinton's visit to Turkey.

This Agreement will be signed on Februray 8, 2000 at 10.30, with a ceremony to be held at the Fatin Rüştü Zorlu meeting room, by H.E. Tansu Okandan, Ambassador, Director General for Bilateral Political Affairs and H.E. Mark Parris, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, with the participation of high-level representatives from the Turkish General Staff and Turkish Air Forces, as well as Prof. Ahmet Mete Işıkara, Director of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute. The capabilities of Belbaşı will be improved with new equipment in a period no longer than a few weeks, and further monitoring work will be continued under the administration of Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Boğaziçi University, and with the assistance by three experts from a communication firm in the United States.

Belbaşı Station will significantly enhance the monitoring capabilities of Turkey regarding seismic activities. In fact, the Station will be functioning as an "Alpha Station" within the seismic monitoring network to be established by the United Nations under the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Belbaşı will assume a pivotal role in this global system following the conclusion of another agreement to be negotiated between the Turkish Government and United Nations at a later stage.